Blackouts and fires are crippling California.

So far this year, state wildfires have burned 3.1 million acres, killed 12 people and destroyed nearly 4,000 structures. Six of the top 20 largest wildfires in California history have occurred this year alone, worsening the tough strain facing the state’s power infrastructure.

If this year has taught us anything, it’s this: expect the unexpected. Being in the business we are in, we’ve done a good job helping our customers prepare for unexpected energy issues, suggesting Combined Heat and Power (CHP) as a reliable solution—in terms of both energy production, consumption—and costs.

How will the U.S. economy recover?

That’s the question every business owner and facility manager is asking now, as we deal with the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. While signs of hope can seem few and far between, the U.S. Department of Energy believes that, among other efforts, natural gas will have a sizable role in our economic recovery.

A can’t-miss conference and trade show full of new contacts in the building, energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors, but without the expensive, uncomfortable travel and bad hotel food? Welcome to the BuildingEnergy Boston Conference + Trade Show.

Facility managers face increasing pressure to cut their buildings’ energy use and carbon emissions. Innovative technologies supplying more sustainable sources of energy have led to a drop in the country’s energy consumption. Wind and solar grab much of the focus, deservedly. But natural gas is vital in the global push to lower CO2 emissions. That’s the conclusion the International Energy Agency (IEA) reached this past spring.

This year, five University of Wisconsin (UW) campuses will phase out coal as a heat source in favor of a combination of natural gas and heating oil. The UW system will end its statewide contract to provide coal for the Stout, Oshkosh, Platteville, Stevens Point and Superior campuses. UW has upgraded the remaining coal-fired boilers to run mainly on natural gas with a fuel oil backup.

As a sign of environmental laws expected to spread across the nation, the New York City Council recently enacted Local Law 97 (LL97), part of the Climate Mobilization Act. LL97, passed in May of 2019, is one of the most ambitious climate legislation established in any city on the planet.

Con Ed customers are (unfortunately) accustomed to paying top dollar for their electricity. Last year, while the nationwide average rate for a kilowatt hour of electricity was 13.31 cents, Con Ed charged residential customers nearly double—26.36 cents per kilowatt hour.